diff --git a/Documentation/git-rebase.txt b/Documentation/git-rebase.txt
index 5e4e927647..eda52ed824 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-rebase.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-rebase.txt
@@ -371,8 +371,13 @@ If either <upstream> or --root is given on the command line, then the
 default is `--no-fork-point`, otherwise the default is `--fork-point`.
 
 --ignore-whitespace::
+	This flag is either passed to the 'git apply' program
+	(see linkgit:git-apply[1]), or to 'git merge' program
+	(see linkgit:git-merge[1]) as `-Xignore-space-change`,
+	depending on which backend is selected by other options.
+
 --whitespace=<option>::
-	These flag are passed to the 'git apply' program
+	This flag is passed to the 'git apply' program
 	(see linkgit:git-apply[1]) that applies the patch.
 +
 See also INCOMPATIBLE OPTIONS below.
@@ -520,7 +525,6 @@ The following options:
  * --committer-date-is-author-date
  * --ignore-date
  * --whitespace
- * --ignore-whitespace
  * -C
 
 are incompatible with the following options:
@@ -543,6 +547,7 @@ In addition, the following pairs of options are incompatible:
  * --preserve-merges and --interactive
  * --preserve-merges and --signoff
  * --preserve-merges and --rebase-merges
+ * --rebase-merges and --ignore-whitespace
  * --rebase-merges and --strategy
  * --rebase-merges and --strategy-option
 
diff --git a/builtin/rebase.c b/builtin/rebase.c
index db6ca9bd7d..afe376c3fe 100644
--- a/builtin/rebase.c
+++ b/builtin/rebase.c
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ struct rebase_options {
 	int allow_rerere_autoupdate;
 	int keep_empty;
 	int autosquash;
+	int ignore_whitespace;
 	char *gpg_sign_opt;
 	int autostash;
 	char *cmd;
@@ -376,6 +377,17 @@ static int run_rebase_interactive(struct rebase_options *opts,
 	flags |= opts->rebase_cousins > 0 ? TODO_LIST_REBASE_COUSINS : 0;
 	flags |= command == ACTION_SHORTEN_OIDS ? TODO_LIST_SHORTEN_IDS : 0;
 
+	if (opts->ignore_whitespace) {
+		struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
+
+		if (opts->strategy_opts)
+			strbuf_addstr(&buf, opts->strategy_opts);
+
+		strbuf_addstr(&buf, " --ignore-space-change");
+		free(opts->strategy_opts);
+		opts->strategy_opts = strbuf_detach(&buf, NULL);
+	}
+
 	switch (command) {
 	case ACTION_NONE: {
 		if (!opts->onto && !opts->upstream)
@@ -489,6 +501,8 @@ int cmd_rebase__interactive(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		{ OPTION_STRING, 'S', "gpg-sign", &opts.gpg_sign_opt, N_("key-id"),
 			N_("GPG-sign commits"),
 			PARSE_OPT_OPTARG, NULL, (intptr_t) "" },
+		OPT_BOOL(0, "ignore-whitespace", &opts.ignore_whitespace,
+			 N_("ignore changes in whitespace")),
 		OPT_STRING(0, "strategy", &opts.strategy, N_("strategy"),
 			   N_("rebase strategy")),
 		OPT_STRING(0, "strategy-opts", &opts.strategy_opts, N_("strategy-opts"),
@@ -511,6 +525,8 @@ int cmd_rebase__interactive(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, NULL, options,
 			builtin_rebase_interactive_usage, PARSE_OPT_KEEP_ARGV0);
 
+	opts.strategy_opts = xstrdup_or_null(opts.strategy_opts);
+
 	if (!is_null_oid(&squash_onto))
 		opts.squash_onto = &squash_onto;
 
@@ -954,6 +970,8 @@ static int run_am(struct rebase_options *opts)
 	am.git_cmd = 1;
 	argv_array_push(&am.args, "am");
 
+	if (opts->ignore_whitespace)
+		argv_array_push(&am.args, "--ignore-whitespace");
 	if (opts->action && !strcmp("continue", opts->action)) {
 		argv_array_push(&am.args, "--resolved");
 		argv_array_pushf(&am.args, "--resolvemsg=%s", resolvemsg);
@@ -1401,9 +1419,6 @@ int cmd_rebase(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			PARSE_OPT_NOARG, NULL, REBASE_DIFFSTAT },
 		OPT_BOOL(0, "signoff", &options.signoff,
 			 N_("add a Signed-off-by: line to each commit")),
-		OPT_PASSTHRU_ARGV(0, "ignore-whitespace", &options.git_am_opts,
-				  NULL, N_("passed to 'git am'"),
-				  PARSE_OPT_NOARG),
 		OPT_PASSTHRU_ARGV(0, "committer-date-is-author-date",
 				  &options.git_am_opts, NULL,
 				  N_("passed to 'git am'"), PARSE_OPT_NOARG),
@@ -1411,6 +1426,8 @@ int cmd_rebase(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 				  N_("passed to 'git am'"), PARSE_OPT_NOARG),
 		OPT_PASSTHRU_ARGV('C', NULL, &options.git_am_opts, N_("n"),
 				  N_("passed to 'git apply'"), 0),
+		OPT_BOOL(0, "ignore-whitespace", &options.ignore_whitespace,
+			 N_("ignore changes in whitespace")),
 		OPT_PASSTHRU_ARGV(0, "whitespace", &options.git_am_opts,
 				  N_("action"), N_("passed to 'git apply'"), 0),
 		OPT_BIT('f', "force-rebase", &options.flags,
@@ -1821,6 +1838,9 @@ int cmd_rebase(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	}
 
 	if (options.rebase_merges) {
+		if (options.ignore_whitespace)
+			die(_("cannot combine '--rebase-merges' with "
+			      "'--ignore-whitespace'"));
 		if (strategy_options.nr)
 			die(_("cannot combine '--rebase-merges' with "
 			      "'--strategy-option'"));
diff --git a/sequencer.h b/sequencer.h
index 0c494b83d4..303047a133 100644
--- a/sequencer.h
+++ b/sequencer.h
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ struct replay_opts {
 	int verbose;
 	int quiet;
 	int reschedule_failed_exec;
+	int ignore_whitespace;
 
 	int mainline;
 
diff --git a/t/t3422-rebase-incompatible-options.sh b/t/t3422-rebase-incompatible-options.sh
index a5868ea152..4342f79eea 100755
--- a/t/t3422-rebase-incompatible-options.sh
+++ b/t/t3422-rebase-incompatible-options.sh
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ test_rebase_am_only () {
 }
 
 test_rebase_am_only --whitespace=fix
-test_rebase_am_only --ignore-whitespace
 test_rebase_am_only --committer-date-is-author-date
 test_rebase_am_only -C4
 
diff --git a/t/t3431-rebase-options-compatibility.sh b/t/t3431-rebase-options-compatibility.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..f38ae6f5fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t3431-rebase-options-compatibility.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2019 Rohit Ashiwal
+#
+
+test_description='tests to ensure compatibility between am and interactive backends'
+
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+# This is a special case in which both am and interactive backends
+# provide the same outputs. It was done intentionally because
+# --ignore-whitespace both the backends fall short of optimal
+# behaviour.
+test_expect_success 'setup' '
+	git checkout -b topic &&
+	q_to_tab >file <<-EOF &&
+	line 1
+	Qline 2
+	line 3
+	EOF
+	git add file &&
+	git commit -m "add file" &&
+	q_to_tab >file <<-EOF &&
+	line 1
+	new line 2
+	line 3
+	EOF
+	git commit -am "update file" &&
+	git tag side &&
+
+	git checkout --orphan master &&
+	q_to_tab >file <<-EOF &&
+	line 1
+	        line 2
+	line 3
+	EOF
+	git add file &&
+	git commit -m "add file" &&
+	git tag main
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--ignore-whitespace works with am backend' '
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	line 1
+	new line 2
+	line 3
+	EOF
+	test_must_fail git rebase main side &&
+	git rebase --abort &&
+	git rebase --ignore-whitespace main side &&
+	test_cmp expect file
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--ignore-whitespace works with interactive backend' '
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	line 1
+	new line 2
+	line 3
+	EOF
+	test_must_fail git rebase --merge main side &&
+	git rebase --abort &&
+	git rebase --merge --ignore-whitespace main side &&
+	test_cmp expect file
+'
+
+test_done
